


Of Sleep and Precious Things

by EmerialynCodeVenice



Series: Djinn Dirk AU [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: ANIME SHADES!!!, Djinn Dirk Oneshots, Emotionally Insecure Dirk, Especially in the JUNGLE, Good Job Taking Care Of Your Treasure Jake, Insomnia/Sleep Issues/Dangerous Exhaustion, Jake Cuddles And Massages Dirk To Sleep, M/M, Not Most Observant Jake-But Observant Enough, Recovering Spirit Dirk, Self-Sacrifice Isn't Smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 22:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13199763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmerialynCodeVenice/pseuds/EmerialynCodeVenice
Summary: 1st Night: Can’t sleep. Too many things to experience. The night sky, the dirt ground, the sounds of the jungle…2nd Night: Can’t sleep. Over-exhausted from hiking and unused to the physical needs of a human body…3rd Night: Can’t sleep. He’s afraid. If he does fall asleep, will he wake up to find this is just a dream?4th Night: Still can’t sleep… Lonely.AKA: Where Djinn Dirk really needs to sleep and, once he finds out, Jake is not taking ‘no’ for an answer.Jake: Use Cuddles and Massage. Dirk: It’s Super Effective!





	Of Sleep and Precious Things

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Part Three of the Djinn Dirk Series! I may, one day and if enough inspiration, write oneshots that are set before this about Djinn Dirk's First Eating Experience and Dirk Using Jake's Clothes (cause while he might look great in genie wear, not the best for hiking), but for now this is the Third Oneshot. I'm particularly fond of this one (though an upcoming 'cooking one' is probably my favorite thus far). 
> 
> Please Leave a Comment and Kudos if you're enjoying this!

                                                                  

The path before you sways, seeming to duplicate before your eyes into two identical dirt roads before shakily returning to one.

_(First Night: You don’t think much of your lack of sleep. There was too much to see, to feel, to experience. The night sky was full of beautiful stars instead of sharp stalactites, the ground below dirt and grass instead of stone and gold, the jungle a constant cacophony of sounds so different from the numbing silence of the cavern… How could you possibly sleep with so much to remind you that you were no longer trapped?)_

You blink, rubbing crud from your right eye beneath your shades. The sudden lack of eyesight is jarring, making you stumble behind Jake before righting yourself, one boot gripping some sturdy grass before you could fall.

_(Second Night: After a long day of walking, the first exercise that you had done in literally thousands of years, you were too exhausted to fall asleep. It was a bizarre thought, an oxymoron if anything, but the fact was, every time you tried to close your eyes, your body would just **hum** with adrenaline and you were left shifting back and forth uncomfortably. Strangely enough, you missed the piles of gold you used to sleep on.) _

“And, of course, I didn’t think much of it. Quite a jokester, my little cousin Jade is. Though, _John_ , now _John_ is trouble—”

Jake is talking, a few feet in front of you as you hike through the dense, suffocating undergrowth. He seems completely at ease, unperturbed as he cheerfully cuts through the flora. Meanwhile, it was difficult for you to breathe, every step feeling like a battle as sweat sticks to every part of your body. When you had first been given some of Jake’s spare clothing, you had been ecstatic, if awkward with suddenly having so much of your body covered. It was at times like this, when the cloth seemed unmaneuverable and tight, that you kind of regretted changing…  

_(Third Night: When you settled down for the night, you were determined to sleep. While you didn’t really remember what it was like to be human, having gone so long with an invulnerable body and literally sleeping for centuries at a time, you knew that your body would eventually give out if you didn’t let it rest. You couldn’t do that to Jake, delay or trouble him in any way, when he was so excited and helpful as he showed and told you everything about this new world. However, as you lied down, you were suddenly overcome with fears. Fears that this was all just a dream. That, if you **did** go to sleep, you would wake up to find yourself in the Cavern of Hearts again. That Jake… would have been nothing but an illusion. You try to argue with yourself that it, this, was all real… but weren’t very successful. You didn’t sleep a wink.) _

_Buzz_

You grimace as mosquitoes buzz around your face, some landing on your arm and _pricking_ the pale skin. No matter how many you slap away— _sometimes crushing them on your body, ew…—_ there always seemed to be more to replace them. You wonder how Jake stood it. They were enough to make you feel sick to your stomach… or maybe that was the lack of sleep…

_(Fourth Night: You know that Jake was starting to suspect something, noticing your slowing pace as you walked through the jungle. It made you feel terrible, remembering that he had said it should only ‘take a week’ to get wherever it was that he wanted to go. You were already slowing him down, you didn’t want to make it worse. However, he was insistent, so you told him a half-truth that the sunlight hurt your eyes. It wasn’t a lie, it really did, but what you didn’t expect was for him to bring out a pair of black ‘anime-style shades,’ as he called them, and gave them to you. You were… touched, putting them on after his insistence. To your surprise, they **did** help you see better and your growing headache seemed to dull immediately. He told you some sort of story about Jade, his younger cousin, slipping them into his pack as a joke after a friend of hers said that he didn’t want them anymore—some strange story about how they made him uncomfortable—but he was glad now to have them. Then, Jake had told you that they would take more breaks, just realizing that you had probably not walked more than a few feet for a long time. You didn’t answer him, your heart still clenching at his gift. Strangely enough, that night, you kept looking over at Jake’s sleeping body, wanting to get closer, desperate for more of the comfort that he brought you.  …the feeling, the pain in your chest, kept you up all night.)  _

And, here you were now, _four days without sleep_. Or, at least, if you had gotten a wink of rest, it had been short enough that you didn’t recall it. You were seeing double more than you were seeing singular and every breath felt like you had leaped from a cliff. You didn’t know what to do. You couldn’t slow down Jake, you would much rather deal with this yourself than inconvenience him in any way, but you were getting worried it wouldn’t be your choice soon…

Suddenly, Jake stops, looking up a gigantic tree with a large canopy and stream running beside it. “Well, mate, I think this is a good place as any to take a break—”

You stumble, too clumsy from exhaustion to properly control your motor mechanics, and collide with his back. You want to get up, to apologize as quick as you possibly can, but you were just… _just too tired…_

You feel, more so than hear, Jake give a laugh, twisting his body to face you. “Don’t seem so eager, Dirk. We still have a ways to… a ways to go…”

You tense, pulling at some internal strength— _that, too, was exhausted after such conditions—_ and force your body upwards. It seemed that double-vision was back again as you saw _two_ Jakes instead of one, his expression of concern splitting in half before shakily coming back together.

“Nah,” you murmur, swallowing painfully. “Ahm’ good, we can keep going…”

“Dirk?” asks Jake, his nose scrunching as his emerald eyes trail over you. “What’s… what’s wrong? Are you tired? Sorry, have I been pushing you too hard? Bollocks, Grandma _told_ me that not everyone is as physically fit—”

“No,” you deny hurriedly, your heart tensing at the thought of inconveniencing him. “No, I’m fine. It’s…” Sweat drips down your brow, trailing down to your nose and making it itch terribly. Probably aggravated a mosquito bite. “…just hot.”

You give a shaky breath and walk as straight at you can— _your lungs hurt so bad and your muscles cried with every step you took and it was surprisingly hard not to cry—_ to sit on a large, twisting root coming up from the dirt ground. A small creature darts out from the bush behind it, likely startled by your presence, before running off into the brush too quick for you to see. Not like your eyes would have been able to follow whatever it had been in your condition either…

Jake seems to hesitate, no doubt sensing some part of your deception, before nodding slowly and taking off his backpack and setting it next to a large root before opening it up. Since you had yet to reach ‘civilization’— _and wasn’t that such a strange thought? How had the world changed since you had last been alive? Not that you can remember your life anymore, but you were rather certain that the things that Jake was describing were very **new** to you—_ he was the only one to carry a bag.

You had offered to take it for him— _despite the fact that you were barely lasting on your own weight as it was—_ but he had firmly said no, something about how it wasn’t gentlemanly at all. When you pointed you that you were also a male, so the rules didn’t apply, he had turned bright red and randomly started another conversation.

You lean against the tree, feeling a slight bit of relief— _not much, but anything was better than nothing after all—_ as the bark, bumpy and rough as it was, was far cooler than your skin. The large canopy also shielded you both from the unforgiving sunlight, so it certainly had your support. In fact, you were so thankful, you were just about to name this your favorite tree…

_You wondered if you were getting delirious from going without sleep for so long?_

“Ah! Eureka!”

You turn at the sound of Jake’s strange jargon— _though, you were in no place to call it strange. For all you knew, the entire world spoke like he did in this era—_ and see him lifting a small towel from the bag before grabbing two of his water canteens. He had once said, as you were walking along, that hydration was one of the most important parts of adventuring— _“You can betcha that I wouldn’t have gotten through those traps of yours with a dry throat, no sir!”—_ and made you drink what felt like every half hour.

You were thankful, even though you honestly needed even more than those short half-hour stops, but were careful not to say anything. While he filled up at every stream you came across, you knew from his caution that it was not always a certainty that drinkable water could be found. As a result, you wouldn’t take any more than what he gave you. And, even then, you tried to only take enough to wet your lips. It was far more important that he got as much water as he needed. You could manage.

Jake walks the short distance over the dirt ground to you, careful to avoid tripping over any of the large roots as he sat close to you. As always, your heart raced at his proximity. While you would do anything to cool down, the heat that you feel emit from his body is more than worth it. You weren’t sure why you were so attuned to his presence… but, then again, you weren’t sure how you could _not_ be constantly aware of him.

He hands you the towel before taking a swig of his canteen, a bright green and silver thing. You’re glad that his attention is upon his water because your hand shakes as you take the towel, carefully wiping sweat and dirt from your face. You feel better for a moment before the _buzz_ in your head returns, nausea filling you.

“—and, anyway, they’re both good kids. It would have been far harder to leave Jade behind at Mr. Egbert’s home if I didn’t know that she and John are as close as they are—”

While talking, Jake holds an orange metal canteen idly in his left hand towards you. He was expecting you to take it, wasn’t he? Easy enough, right?

“—they’re only fifteen, but I know they’re going to change the world someday—”

Your hand trembles as you place your hand around the canteen, grip tightening around it. But Jake lets go too quick— _or is it that you’re just too weak—_ and the canteen falls from both your hands, the open top spilling the precious water over the ground.

Jake abruptly stops talking, and you panic, reaching down quickly as if you could somehow put the water back in. “Shit, I’m sorry, I’m sorry Jak—”

Your vision _swims_ at your sudden movement and feel _heat_ fill your head, falling forward as the colors of the ground and the metal canteen _seem to all blur together_ —

_“Dirk!”_

Your stomach _lurches_ as you feel your sudden distant stop. You try to stop it, but you heave, retching dryly as you try to control your breathing. Your abdomen contracts _painfully_ as tears prickle your eyes. It hurts, it _really hurts—_

Suddenly, _yet slowly_ , you feel yourself leaning back— _your head hurts so much from the sudden movements—_ against something warm and dry. But, despite being warm, it feels insanely comfortable and you lean into it, suddenly _desperate_ for comfort and _relief_ from this exhaustion. You feel horrible. You can’t remember the last time you felt horrible. Even from what you recall of those early years when you had tried so desperately to bring about death by throwing yourself into the traps of the cavern—

_“Dirk?_ Dirk, can you hear me? Oh, no, what’s wrong? You’re not burning up, so it’s not a fever, but you too look quite peaky and—”

A face appears before you after a moment of feeling something rub your back soothingly, small circles drawn on the shirt above the skin of your lower spine. While the canopy shadowed the face from being really clear— _or maybe that was just your vision right now—_ you knew it was Jake. You relax…

And then tense again, remembering everything from the past minute.

“I’m… sorry,” you say weakly, slowly turning your head— _it felt like you were moving through molasses; it an impossible burden weighing you down—_ to look at the metal canteen that remained abandoned on the jungle floor. “I… I’ll go fill it—”

“By Neytiri’s Seze you will not!” he exclaims— _what… in the world? Were you delirious or was that completely gibberish—_ his actions far more gentle than his words as he pushes you back down. Still, you feel yourself flinch and curl into yourself. “Dirk, there shall be no standing or filling of anything until you tell me what in the blazes is going on. Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”

“I’m... feeling fine,” you mumble, feeling your heart clench, unprepared for this sudden confrontation and feeling downright terrible in general. “Really Jake, it’s just hot—”

Jake waggles his finger at you, a rather odd sight when looking from below. “Don’t think I’m not on to your games, chum! While I do agree that it’s hotter than the inside of an oven, we have been walking in shaded areas for the past hour. It’s why I’m rather refreshed. It can’t be the sunlight. Or, are your shades not working? Here, let me see—”

You have no reason to stop him from taking your shades, but, still, a part of you _lurches_ as he quickly takes them off. You squint, eyes watering at the newfound vision as you mourn the likely temporary loss of glasses.

A moment passes and you realize he had yet to say something else. Instead, he was staring intently at you. Or, more accurately, your… eyes?

Before you can ask him what’s wrong, he speaks, his tone stern and strained, as if _he_ was the one who had been going without water. “Dirk… you… you don’t quite well. I didn’t notice it before, but those bags beneath your eyes are the gargantuan size.”

_Oh no._

You swallow. It wasn’t like you had a mirror anymore— _you miss that full-length mirror you had in the Cavern of Hearts, but Jake said that he doesn’t often use his so you didn’t want to impose—_ so how could you have known what you looked like? Great, you looked even worse than usual. Not like you… cared that much— _you did, you really, really, **really** did, wanting Jake to look at you, compliment you, even though you knew you weren’t worth it—_ but you knew that bags underneath your eyes generally meant a lack of sleep. If you were lucky, Jake wouldn’t make the connection—

“I’ve… been meaning to ask this. I thought it folly, but maybe…” Jake clears his throat, pinning you with his emerald eyes. “I’ll cut this gobbly-gook and ask you straight out. Dirk, have you been sleeping?”

_Why in the world did you think you had any luck? Wasn’t being imprisoned for thousands of years to serve random travelers enough of a clue!?_

You swallow, wanting to look away but _pinned_ by his intense expression. His bright green eyes were like lightning or some type of magic that _paralyzed_ you, yet left you feeling _ignited_ at the same time.

You couldn’t lie.

Not when he was looking at you like _that_.

You could… however… bend the truth?

“Some…” you mumble, and he just raises his brow and gives you a look.

_Yeah, bending the truth. Working great._

“Not… not much,” you admit finally and, knowing that he likely wanted an explanation, you continue. “It’s… difficult. Like, the first night, there was just… so much.”

“What was so much?” he asked patiently.

You swallow. “You. Freedom. Everything, it was… I just couldn’t sleep. Every time I shut my eyes, I would just get distracted by something else.”

His vivid green eyes soften and he nods. “Alright, what about the other nights? We’ve been walking for five days, Dirk.”

You shift, realizing that you’re still lying on top of him. But due to your exhaustion— _or, maybe something else—_ you don’t bother trying to get up. “The second night,” you continue. “I couldn’t sleep because…”

“Go on,” he insists, brushing a lock from your face and soothingly pressing his thumbs against your temple, rubbing slow, firm circles.

You avoided giving into the relief, wanting to answer him. “I was too tired,” you admit quietly. “I… you were right when you said that I haven’t walked more than a short distance since I was trapped. And, even then, I think that you freeing me did… something. I’m… hungry again, I think, and able to get tired. I’m not used to it, so I think my body didn’t know how to handle walking so far that day…”

Jake’s eyes turn mournful. You immediately wish you had said nothing, cursing yourself for putting such an expression on his face.

“I-I’m sorry—” you stammer, wishing to get rid of the _guilt_ that was wrongfully there. He had done nothing wrong. It was you. Always you who _messed up everything good_.

“No,” he interrupts, frowning as he shakes his head. “That’s on me, Dirk. Not you. I should have known better. I’m sorry, I’ll try to do better.” Before you can argue, he makes a soft sound from the back of his throat. “What about the other nights, Dirk? There’s two more that you didn’t sleep. Why?”

Despite wanting to argue, you decide to continue. You might as well since you had already ruined the good mood between the two of you. The sooner you were done explaining, the sooner you could fill up the canteen, get back on the path, and stop delaying Jake. “That third night… I was afraid,” you admit quietly. “This has been amazing. And I keep… I keep thinking…”

“Keep thinking what?” he asks quietly, hands traveling down from your temple to your neck, rubbing _wonderful_ lines up and down the tense muscles.

An unfamiliar feeling rises in your throat. You push it down, confused, even as you slump back into Jake’s chest. Just… just a few more minutes was fine, right? You felt more relaxed than you had in a very long time, but continue on since you knew that was what he wanted. “I kept thinking that I didn’t want this to just be a dream,” you reveal softly. “I keep wondering… if I’m going to wake up… where you’ll be gone… and I never left the cavern.”

_Honestly, you still think it in your **waking** moments… _

Jake is quiet for a moment before nodding, one hand reaching up to slide a sweaty lock back behind your ear before returning to massage small circles into the crease of your neck. “I see, well, I certainly can’t fault you for not wanting to go back to that awful place. But,” he presses firmly against your neck, holding the _too good_ pressure there. “I _assure_ you, Dirk. I’m real, _this_ is real. And you’ll never, on my _life_ , go back to being trapped like that. Do you understand me?”

Something rises inside of you, like… warm bubbles ready to _pop_ and release happiness everywhere they touch. You barely avoid a giddy smile— _though, you’re sure, Jake sees the corners of your mouth rise anyway—_ as you snuggle back, feeling strangely content yet still ready to cry at any moment. You felt fragile… and yet stronger than any stone.

Did he understand? You wonder. Did he fully understand what he had promised? What it _meant_ to you for _him_ to say that to you. This wonderful human, with no obligation or responsibility to you, had promised to take _care_ of you. And… you couldn’t do anything but trust him, believe every impossible word that falls from his lips. How could you do anything but? How could _anything_ be better?

Then, Jake’s hands slide down— _like you, they’re covered in sweat, but that somehow makes the ministrations feel even better as those calloused fingertips slide against your slick skin—_ and begin to massage your shoulders and you correct yourself. Nothing could feel better than _this_ right here…

“Dirk. Dirk?”

You startle, blinking as you realize that you… had you almost dozed off? That was impossible. You had been trying desperately to sleep for the past five days, how could it be possible that you would randomly drift off now? You probably had just zoned out for a moment.

Thus, you give Jake your most intelligible answer. “Mm… mmh?”

Jake huffs a spot of laughter into your spiky blond hair, making a _whuffing_ sensation that vibrates against your skin. _It feels really nice._

“What about last night?” asks Jake, continuing on with his questions. “Why couldn’t you sleep last night? Yesterday is when I gave you your shades—”  _Something in you skips a beat at his words. They were ‘your’ shades. You, a spirit who had no purpose but to give to others, actually ‘owned’ something._ “—didn’t they help?”

“Yes,” you nod in affirmation, “They helped a lot, but that night I was…” This was the hard one. “I couldn’t sleep because…”

He _presses_ in just the _right_ spot, rotating his thumbs back and forth on a tight _knot_ near the base of your neck and that _feeling--…vibration? Was that the right word?—_ rise in your throat again, almost like a _deep hum_. You quiet it, embarrassed at the unfamiliar sound that kept threatening to be released the longer he did this, and slump backwards into his chest as you try to concentrate on the conversation at hand.

“Why couldn’t you sleep, chickadee?” he breathes out, voice beside your ear, making a _shiver_ crawl across your skin.

“I was lonely,” you murmur finally, freezing as you realize your own words and feeling Jake’s hands still at your words. You hurry to continue, face lighting up in mortification. “I mean, uh, it… I’m… I’m still getting used to being around another living being. I, traveler’s only visited every few centuries, sometimes more, and, I, I guess I wanted to keep talking to you—”

“Would sleeping next to me help?”

You tense, looking up at him in disbelief. You want to call him out, not believing he meant what he said, that he would _offer_ something so wonderful to a… a _thing_ like you—but his eyes are serious. And, his hands, his hands just continue to slide _slowly_ over your shoulders, your neck, whatever part of your skin that he can reach beneath the shirt he had leant you…

Your eyes droop, suddenly feeling very small and honest. “…Yes,” you mumble finally. “It… it’s not as overwhelming. When you’re around, everything is just…”

“Better?” he fills in, shifting behind you. You realize that you seem to be getting closer to the ground— _or was the canopy just getting farther away?—_ and naturally adjust according to his movement.

You nod, only half-wondering what you were nodding to, lost in your exhaustion and the wonderful feeling of Jake’s hands on you. “Yeah… it’s I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m… I don’t want to bother you—”

“You could never bother me,” whispers Jake. “Didn’t you hear me before? You’re… my treasure, the one I chose _especially_. And a man takes care of his treasures; certainly when they are as precious as you. Please tell me when something is wrong. I’m… I’m not always good at telling, but I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you…”

Your vision is dark, and you would panic if you hadn’t noticed that your eyes had closed some time ago. When had that happened? You didn’t know, and, frankly, didn’t care, feeling lulled by Jake’s words and your back against his chest. Your breath evens out and, a moment before you drift off, you realize that you’re about to fall asleep.

For a second, you’re afraid, afraid that you wouldn’t fall asleep properly, that you’d wake up in the cavern again… but, then, Jake shifts behind you and his hands stop, going instead to circle around your waist and pull you in, securing you to his body.

_“Go to sleep,”_ he whispers, breathing evenly into your ear. “I promise, I’ll be right here when you wake up. You… don’t have to be alone anymore, okay?”

You let yourself go, letting darkness and long-alluded slumber _finally_ take you.  

Because if Jake was the one holding you… you could finally believe that you’d be alright.  

**Author's Note:**

> And thus started the trend of Dirk sleeping with Jake. In a non-sexual—at least for now… ;)—comforting type of matter. That’s why, in future fics, if Dirk wakes up and Jake is instantly there, it’s because this becomes a trend for them. 
> 
> Poor touch-deprived/sensitive, emotionally traumatized Dirk. At least, with this development, things will become a bit easier for him. And, with this, Jake is starting to see how fractured his gem is and that he needs to amp up the amount of care he gives. And, Dirk may not notice, but this is a big thing for Jake as well. Ironically, for someone who goes on lone adventures so often, Jake hates being alone and loves this just as much as Dirk. 
> 
> Hopefully, Jake will notice sooner next time when something is wrong… but he is a bit oblivious. Though, when he does get it, he gets is good (as you can see from the impromptu massage and cuddle session in the middle of the jungle XD). 
> 
> You can be sure, especially in the chapter sequel (These Golden Walls That Divide Us) that, when it comes to comforting Dirk, Jake will be ‘taking no prisoners’ if you get what I’m saying. For a Page of Hope, he can be intense… and dominant. If that discomforts anyone, I’m sorry. I’ll be sure to tag appropriately, but, honestly that’s what Djinn Dirk needs. And, if I’m giving my honest opinion, it’s what every variation of Dirk needs. 
> 
> Dirk has a has a tendency to take too much on his plate without a proper understanding of personal or external limits which leads to him being constantly overstressed and helpless as the bonds he has with others fall apart. I truly believe he would be happiest when someone else is guiding him, literally forcing him to relax since he doesn’t have a clue how to. Thus, you’ll see a lot of upcoming emotionally co-dependent moments between the two (especially since Jake has a few issues himself) in this series. What can I say? It’s my jam! 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading—sorry for the long note, but it’s there for anyone who wants further explanation of choices or decisions made in this series and story—and please leave Kudos and Comments to tell me what you think, how you’re enjoying the Djinn Dirk Series, and if you have anything you want to see in particular from this situation!


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